Quote:
“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” – A.W. Tozer

The Lord is my shepherd. This frames the entire psalm.
Notice: David didn’t say:
The Lord is your consultant.
The Lord is your agent.
The Lord is your teacher.
The Lord is your coach.
The Lord is your parent.
The Lord is your life coach.
The picture David wants us to see is: first and foremost the Lord is your Shepherd.

Psalm 23 is the most beloved psalm of the Bible. And it tells us what God is really like. It's a picture of God. My prayer is that when we get through with the series you'll better know what God is like and you'll know more how much He really loves you and how much you matter to Him. = because the more you understand God clearly, the easier it is to trust Him completely.

David is surveying life and preaching this truth to himself. God is our Shepherd – so what does that make us? sheep. we don't like that. no one gets a tattoo of a sheep on their arm - they're not intimidating, tough or dangerous...

David paints this picture: not of a nightmare scenario, but a DELIGHT. Because of how this GOOD shepherd cares. God’s a Good Shepherd.
“The Lord is my shepherd.” - he wants us to experience this as reality, as real as gravity.

The Lord is MY shepherd…I shall not want. (other translations: 'I lack nothing'). God's personal – he’s not just acting “shepherdly” in how he relates with humanity. He’s MY SHEPHERD – focused in on ME – it’s personal/relational.

When we live under this reality – His presence has 2 powerful effects: it can begin to battle against something we all face and build up something we all want.

Battle against Worry
Build up our Contentment

WORRY is not helpful. Worry is unreasonable. Worry is unhealthy. The body was not made to worry; it's unnatural. When you worry you can get ulcers, backaches, headaches, insomnia. Our bodies were not made to worry. Plants and animals don't worry. The only thing that worries in all God's creation is people. And that sense of worry comes when we’re not allowing ourselves to fully trust our Shepherd and live under His care.
*(disclaimer about anxiety imbalances)

Living in the reality that the Lord is my Shepherd is an antidote to worry. How? Because of what Shepherds DO:
1. A shepherd provides.
2. A shepherd protects.
3. A shepherd guides.
4. A shepherd corrects. Any problem that comes along, he corrects it.

God has promised to do all these things in your life as you live with Him as your Shepherd. NOW – that does start with you submitting and beginning a relationship with him by trusting Jesus to be your Savior and Shepherd. God’s not the Shepherd to everyone – but to EACH ONE that has said yes to Jesus and come under his eternal care.

The Good Shepherds presence can grow our contentment. *That doesn’t mean we don’t have wants in life – but His presence can build within us a resolve to not be consumed by the “continual pull of wants & the treadmill of “I need more and more”...

Living in the continual presence of our Good Shepherd who provides for us, protects us, guides us, cares for us can help us battle against worry and build up our contentment levels as we live life with the Shepherd

Friends: you have a Good Shepherd - keep in step with Him. Commit to listen for His voice, over all the other voices out there; realign yourself to make sure you’re seeking to stay within His presence, His protection, His provision, versus striking out on your own or following a hired hand... (read John 10)

TO DO:
-as we begin a New Year, ask yourself: how can I maximize & maintain a rhythm of living that keeps me in close proximity to MY Shepherd (Jesus)?
-Memorization Challenge: commit now to memorize Psalm 23 by then end of January. begin this week repeating verse 1 to yourself. What’s repeatable becomes reproducible.

Need Prayer? ....we've got some of our prayer team and pastors available following service to pray with you. Or you can text the word "prayer" to our phone number: #520-300-9001 to submit your prayer request or submit one via our new app. We look forward to partnering with you in prayer.